Lubricated bearing



LUBRICATED BEARING Filed March 9, 1953 17 7087? fora Patented May I, 1935 v UNITED s'rATEs PATENT omen numerous]: anama Joel 8. Collin, In, Englewood, and Eugene L; Sohellens, Ridgewood, N. L, aulgnors tOLC-S- Engineering Company, Englewood, N. 1., a corporation ofDelawar-e Application March 9, 1933, Serial No. 660,128

16 Claims. (Cl; 308 187) This'invention relates to bearings, especially balls 26 retainedin suitable alignment by a re- -anti-friction bearings, and to lubricating devices tainer 28 and located adjacent the outer ends therefor. of theraces. The inner race 24 is carried by I One of the objects of the present invention is and is rotatable with the shaft Ill. The outer the provision of a bearing, and especially an race 22 is stationary and is located within a anti-friction bearing, so arranged that the lubricup 30 that secured within the housing It, catingkfiuid is caused to traverse the bearing in the cup. having an annular inwardly-directed a general axial direction by the action of the flange 32 that overlies the outer end of the rotating parts thereof. bearing and cooperates with other parts not Another object of the invention is the provinecessary to describe to prevent escape of oil 10 sion of an anti-friction bearing, and particu outwardly of the housing. An annular absorblarlyaball bearing, having self-contained means ent pad 34 of felt or the like of substantial that causes a flow of oil in a determined direc thickness and oil retaining capacity is located tion through the bearing. within the inner end of the bearing between the A further object of the invention is the protwo races and at the rear of the row of balls and 15 vision of a bearing of the type above set forth is carried preferably by the outer race and thus wherein an'oil pad functions as an oil reservoir is stationary and is a close fit'around the rofor the bearing and'filters the oil from any solid tatable sleeve 24, the closeness of the fit being matter therein contained and wherein centrifsufficient to prevent oil that may contain dirt ugal means are provided to maintain the pad particles from pa ng axially between the D 20 constantly saturated or filled with oil in such and t in a t th al Th inn r race manner that the oil in. the pad is caused to at about in line with the rear face of the P flow in a determined direction through the bearis provided with an annular oil-throwing ing, p 5 shoulder 36 and a reduced rearward extension Another object of the invention is the provi- 38 thatabuts against the front end of an oil- 25 sion of a bearing and especially a ball bearing bearing spacing sleeve 40. A -pad-retaining having outer and inner races with an oil pad and" bearing cover plate orshield 42 in the form forming a closure for one end of the bearing, o a disc is disposed immediately in t rea of there being means to maintain the pad saturated the D d 4 nd i carr d by and located in an 1 with oil and the rotatable race at the other end annular ve O the Oute race 2'2. The-shield of the bearing having a flange that expels d is dished in the middle so that it outstands oil from the bearing and is instrumental in caus- 8-Way from the f face of the absorbent D ing a circulation of 011 through the bearing, 3' and hasa hole in the middle thereof in which A further object is generally to improve the the extension 38 of the inner race is located, the

construction and performance of lubricated hole being larger than the diameter Of 1 1 35 b in r tension 38 so that the latter can rotate without Th figure i a sectiqn t k axially through rubbing on the disc and also so that oil on the a shaft and the bearings therefor that embody surface of the extension can l x a y theret present, inventidm l. along under the disc without contacting there- 40 The invention is here illustrated as applied, i A bearing cover plate or shield 44 in the 40 although "not necessarily restricted, to a turp a discis i e at the (inter end of e bine driven pump unit having a shaft It with a ne a d is fi t and s a ied brand turbine wheel l: t (me end pump 1 thus is rotatable with the inner race 24, the disc peher t t other The h t passes being .of substantial radial dimensions andover- 45 through asupporting housing l6 that constitutes yin apa ofrthe eutergraee but spaced p r 45 a lubricant reservoir adapted to contain a liquid ripherally therefrom Sufliciently to allow oil to lubricant, as oil, to some suitable level l8. The P between the Outer ace and the outer D shaft is supported rotatably in the hous by 'riphery of the disc and'to be thrown from the a pair of spaced anti-friction or ,ball bearings P phery of the disc. An oil ring 4 i p ed 20 constructed in accordance with the present on t pa Sleeve 40 and dips into an oil 50 invention. The bearings are or can .be identiwell 48 of the housing. cal and but one will be explained. The bearing As-the shaft rotates oil picked up by the oil comprises an outer race or sleeve 22 and an inring 46 is deposited upon the surface of the ner race or sleeve 2& between and in rolling spacing sleeve 40. T e oil works its way axi- 65 engagement with which is an annular row of ally along the sleeve and onto the extension 38 where it reaches the outstanding annular ledge or shoulder 36. The shoulder throws the oil outwardly against the absorbent pad and into the space between the pad and the shield 12. The pad becomes saturated with oil and, since oil is being constantly supplied thereto under a slight pressure due to the action of the shoulder 36, oil is caused to flow out of the front end of the saturated pad and along the surface of the inner race and into the ballpath where it is picked up by the rotating balls and thus lubricates them and both ball races. The oil works further through the bearing and comes in contact with the rotating shoulder or disc 44 which by centrifugal effect draws the oil out of the bearing and throws it into the space between the disc and the flange 32'." The oil escapes from this space through a convenient passage 50 and returns to the reservoir. Thus the arrangement 'provides for a constant flow of oil through the bearings. Any dirt in the incoming oil is retained in the pad 34 by its straining and capillary effect so that the oil that circulates through the bearing is maintained clean. This is of considerable importance to insure long satisfactory operation of high speed anti-friction bearings. The oil capacity of the'pad is sumcient to lubricate the bearing adequately for several hours, as a days run, without the addition of oil thereto, thereby providingagainst damage to the bearing in the event of the oil level in the reservoir descending below the oil ring between usual periods of inspection.

While we have herein shown an oil ring to carry the oil onto a rotating part of the shaft, where it can travel to the shoulder 36, yet an oil ring is not essential'for the performance of the invention and in general any means that supplies oil to the shaft in sufllcient abundance will be satisfactory.

At the final stage of manufacturing the bearfriction bearing therefor'having a filter in one end thereof, and means for forcibly'introducing a lubricating fluid into and through said filter and intoQbne end of the bearing and for forcibly expelling the lubricating fluid from the filter and from the other end of the bearing.

2. The combination of a shaft, a bearing.

therefor, an absorbent pad disposed in one end of the bearing, and centrifugal means to introduce oil under a slight pressure into said pad from one face thereof to saturate it and to cause excess oil' to flow out of a pressure free face 'of said pad into said bearing.

3. The combination of a shaft, a bearing therefor, an absorbent pad disposed at one end of the bearing, centrifugal means to apply oil under a slight pressure against one face of said pad to saturate it and to cause excess oil to flow out of a pressure free face of said pad into'said bearing, and centrifugal means located at the other end of said the bearing,

bearing to expel used oil from 4. The combination of a shaft, a bearing therefor having outer and inner races, rolling members therebetween and engaged therewith, an absorbent pad located in one end of said bearing in the space between said races, centrifugal means to maintain said pad overflowing with oil so that oil flows therefrom into the space between said races, and centrifugal means at the other end of said bearing to expel oil therefrom.

5. The combination of a shaft, a bearing therefor having outer and inner races, rolling members therebetween and engaged therewith, an annular absorbent pad in one end of said bearing and carried by the stationary race, and means including a shoulder formed on the rotatable race to throw oil against and to saturate said pad under substantial pressure to overflowing with oil. t

6. The combination of a shaft, a bearing therefor, an annular absorbent pad in one end of said bearing, means including a shoulder rotatable with said shaft to throw oil forcibly against the outer facev of said pad whereby to saturate said pad under substantial pressure to overflowing with oil and to cause the oil to flow out of the pad from the inner face thereof and into the bearing, and a shoulder located at the other end of said bearing and rotatable with said shaft to expel oil from said bearing.

'7. The combination of a shaft and a ball'bearing therefor having an inner race rotatable with said shaft, a stationary outer race and balls betweenthe races, an absorbent annular pad located in one end of said bearing between said races and carried by a race, and centrifugal 'means to introduce oil under substantial presmeans to introduce oil under substantial pressure into said pad to cause it to overflow into the'ball space of the bearing, and an annular outstanding flange carried by said inner race at the other end of the bearing which expels oil from the bearing.

9. The combination of a shaft and a ball bearing thereforhaving an inner race that is rotatable with the shaft, a stationary outer race, balls located between and bearing on said races, an annular absorbent pad located in one end of said bearing between and carried by one of said races, said inner race having a shoulder adjacent said pad that forces oil into the pad by centrifugal action, said inner race at the other end of said bearing having an outstanding shoulder which e'x'pels oil from said bearing,

and means for supplying said shoulder with Oils 10. The combination of a shaft and a ball bearing therefor having an inner race that is rotatable with the shaft, a stationary outer race and balls located between and bearing on said races, an annular absorbent pad located in one end of the bearing between and carried by one of said races, a cover shield carried by said outer race and overlying and closely spaced from the end face of said pad, said inner race having a shoulder that is locatedJn position to throw oil into the space between said shield and pad and against said pad, and means for supplying oil to said shoulder.

11. The combination of a shaft and a. ball bearing therefor having an inner race that is rotatable with the shaft, a stationary outer race and balls located between and bearing on said races, anannular absorbent pad located in one end of the bearing between and: carried by one of said races, a cover shield carried by said outer race and overlying and closely spaced from the end face of said pad, said. inner race having ashoulder that is located in position to throw oil into the space between said shield and pad and against said pad, said inner race having an outstanding shoulder at the other end of said bearing which expels oil therefrom.

12. A ball bearing comprising outer and inner races, balls located between and bearing on said races, an annular absorbent pad located in one end of said bearing between said races, an exposed cover plate carried by the stationary race and overlying the end face of said pad, and an exposed cover plate for the other end of said bearing carried by and rotatable with the rotatable race.

13. A ball bearing comprising an inner rotatable race and an outer stationary race, balls cated between and bearing on said races, and

14. A ball bearing comprising an inner rotatable race and an outer stationary race, balls located between and bearing on said races, an annular absorbent pad located in one end of said bearing between said races and carried by said stationary race, said rotatable race having a shoulder adjacent said pad which throws oil onto said pad by centrifugal action, and said rotatable race at the other end of the bearing having an outstanding shoulder that expels oil centrifugally from the bearing.

' 15. A ball bearing-comprising an inner rotatable race, an outer stationary race, balls located between and bearing on said races, an annular absorbent pad located between said races at one end of the bearing and carried by said stationary race, a cover plate carried by said stationary race and overlying and closely spaced from the end face of said pad, said inner race having a shoulder adjacent said pad which throws oil against said pad and into the space between said pad and cover, and said inner rotatable race having fixed thereto at the other end of said bearing an outstanding cover plate that expels other end of the bearing to expel oil therefrom.

JOEL S. COFFIN, JR. EUGENE L. SCHELLENS. 

